How to manage your team when a key member of staff leaves

Good employees will leave good organisations and there can be a number of reasons why. It is important to understand why in order to promote employee retention however, it is equally as important to manage your team effectively when this kind of disruption occurs. We have put together some useful tips should this happen within your organisation.

Who is going to pick up the extra workload? Adding extra responsibilities to your team’s already busy day may leave them scratching their heads and result in a domino effect of leavers. A great way of avoiding this would be by recruiting a temp. Temporary members of staff are available at short notice and are often pro’s in picking up work quickly, leaving you with plenty of time to find the perfect candidate to fill the missing link in your team. There are almost 3,000 candidates actively looking for temporary employment in the East Midlands - ready and waiting to offer a helping hand.

Build trust with your team by being open and honest with them about the employee’s resignation and how this may affect the team initially. Your team will respond well to honesty will in the face of serious challenges. Remember, there is nothing shameful about an employee leaving for greener pastures.

If needed, don’t be afraid to ask your team for help. Get them involved in putting a plan together for the coming weeks, this can be an effective way of team building, making your team feel valued and reinforce a sense of security. Where possible stick to the plan and communicate when any changes may need to be made.

In difficult times, you may find that morale is low within the existing team members. Let’s lift their spirits and motivate, why not try these 5 easy steps…

Employee recognition – It is proven that most employees respond well to a good old fashioned pat on the back. Saying ‘ Well Done’ and acknowledging the hard work your team put in daily will only promote that feel good feeling and keep the good work coming!

Reward top performers – This doesn’t have to be a monetary prize, an early finish or even play their favourite song in the office will keep them smiling.

Say ‘Thank You’ – Easy to do, can be difficult to remember but the response will speak for itself.

Don’t let them get stuck in a rut! – There are many roles that have repetitive duties and there often isn’t a great deal of change that can be made. Making small differences to their day where possible can encourage levels of enthusiasm.

Get together – Having a consistent team meeting just once a week gives your team the chance to voice any challenges they may be facing and how to resolve them, make a plan for the week and discuss how last week’s plan came together. Also a great excuse to get some breakfast snacks in!

If you are unexpectedly short staffed and would like to talk to one of our experienced consultants covering the East Midlands area specifically Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Lincoln about the benefits of recruiting temporary staff please call us on our head office number 0115 922 2240.